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Free · hear how each style is made

How to make music

To make music, open a music editor, pick a style and a tempo, and build it in layers: a drum beat, a bass line, a few chords and a melody. Then arrange the loop into a track and balance the parts. You can start with no instrument and no experience: pick a style below to hear the parts it is made of.

Pick a style

Pop at 110 BPM in G major: Drums, Bass, Keys, Pluck. Straight drums with a clap on 2 and 4, a bass on the chord roots, and bright keys or guitar playing four chords.

What you need to make music

A computer or a phone

Any recent laptop, tablet or phone can make music. A bigger screen makes editing notes easier.

A music editor (a DAW)

The app where every part lives on its own lane: drums, bass, chords, melody and vocals. Prodverse’s runs in the browser, free.

Headphones

To hear the bass and the details a phone speaker hides. Check your mix on a speaker too.

Later: a keyboard and a mic

A small MIDI keyboard to play notes in and a microphone to sing or rap. Neither is needed to start.

How to make music, step by step

  1. 1. Pick a style and a tempo

    Start with music you already love listening to. Its style sets the tempo, the drums and the sounds, so you are not choosing everything at once.

    Tap a song’s tempo

  2. 2. Make a beat

    Program a kick, a snare or clap and hi-hats on a grid, one bar long. Loop it until you would nod your head to it.

    Drum patterns to play

  3. 3. Add a bass line

    Play low notes that follow the kick drum and the chords’ roots. In trap and drill the bass is an 808 that slides.

    Chord progressions to hear

  4. 4. Add chords

    Loop three or four chords on keys, a pad or a guitar. Choose them from the song’s key so they always fit.

    Chord progression generator

  5. 5. Write a melody

    Put a short tune on top, on a lead sound or your voice. Repeat it with small changes so it sticks.

    Melody generator

  6. 6. Arrange it into a track

    Copy the loop across the timeline, then take parts out and bring them back: an intro, verses, a chorus or drop, and an ending.

    Song structures, mapped

  7. 7. Mix it and share it

    Set each part’s volume so the melody or voice is on top, add a little reverb, and check it on headphones and a phone. Then export it and play it to someone.

    Free online music editor

For the words, the melody and the verse and chorus, see how to make a song.

How each style is made

How to make pop music

95 to 125 BPM. Straight drums with a clap on 2 and 4, a bass on the chord roots, and bright keys or guitar playing four chords.

How to make hip hop

80 to 100 BPM. A head-nodding kick and snare, often swung, a deep bass line, and a short loop of keys or a sample on top.

How to make lo-fi

70 to 90 BPM. Slow, lazy drums a little behind the beat, soft jazzy chords on keys, a warm bass and some vinyl crackle.

How to make trap beats

130 to 160 BPM. Fast hi-hats with rolls, a snare on the third beat so it feels half as fast, a long 808 bass and a dark pad.

How to make house music

118 to 128 BPM. A kick on every beat (four on the floor), off-beat hi-hats, a bouncy bass and short chord stabs.

How to make EDM

124 to 132 BPM. Four-on-the-floor drums, a short bass note under each kick, plucked chords and a wide pad, built up to a drop.

How to make R&B

85 to 115 BPM. Laid-back drums with the snare on 2 and 4, lightly swung hi-hats, a smooth bass and rich, soft chords.

How to make rock music

90 to 160 BPM. Live-sounding drums in straight eighths, a bass that follows the guitar, and driven guitar chords.

Making music with AI

AI can start a part for you: in Prodverse you ask in words, such as “add a sad piano melody” or “make it sadder”, and the change shows up in your project with one Undo. Every part stays on its own lane, where you can change it, mute it or delete it, so the music is still made one layer at a time.

Questions about making music

How do I start making music with no experience?

Open a music editor, pick a style you like listening to, and start from a beat. Change one part at a time: the drums, then the bass, then the chords, then a melody. Copying the shape of a song you love is the fastest way to learn what each part does.

What do you need to make music?

A computer or a phone, a music editor (a DAW) and headphones. A small MIDI keyboard and a microphone help later, but neither is needed to start: you can place every note with a mouse or a finger.

Can you make music for free?

Yes. Prodverse’s editor is free to use in the browser, with drums, bass, synths, a piano roll and effects. The beats on this page are made in your browser and cost no credits.

How do you make EDM?

Start at around 128 BPM with a kick on every beat, add a short bass note under each kick, then plucked chords and a wide pad. Arrange it as a build that takes parts away and adds risers, then a drop where everything comes back in.

How do you make music with AI?

In Prodverse you ask for a part in words, such as "add a sad piano melody", and it is added to your project as notes or audio you can change, mute or delete. You can also make every part by hand; AI is one way to start, not the only one.

How long does it take to learn to make music?

A first beat takes minutes. Most people make something they are happy to share within a few weeks of making a little every day; finishing many short tracks teaches more than polishing one.

Can I make music on my phone?

Yes. Prodverse’s editor runs in the phone’s browser, so you can make drums, bass, chords and a melody and play them back without installing an app.

Make your first beat

Open the free editor with a beat playing, then change the drums, add chords and a melody, part by part. No account needed to start.

Start making musicHow to make a song

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